Valving apparatus

ABSTRACT

A valving apparatus having an inlet port for providing fluid communication to a plurality of inlet chambers each of which has a fluid transfer port and having a plurality of outlet chambers each of which has a fluid transfer port and is in fluid communication with an outlet port. A first rotatable valve disc disposed on a shaft obstructs selected portions of the inlet port preventing fluid communication therethrough to selected inlet chambers and a second rotatable valve disc affixed to the same shaft is arranged to operate simultaneously with the first valve disc by blocking selected portions of the outlet port preventing fluid communication between the outlet port and the selected outlet chambers situated behind the blocked portions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to delivering fluid to a multitude of fluidutilizing devices and more particularly to a valve which is capable ofmaintaining a predetermined flow rate therethrough while routingincoming fluid flow to selected utilizing devices, receiving fluidstreams returning therefrom, and recombining the returning fluid streamsinto an outgoing fluid flow.

It is necessary to provide cool lubricating oil to the bearings in aturbine so as to improve the oil's lubricating characteristics andprevent it from reaching its flash point. Normally, steam turbines whichare utilized in large central station applications have a dual oilcooler arrangement in which either cooler has sufficient capacity tocool the lubricating oil. While the turbine is operating, only onecooler is normally in use with the second cooler remaining inactive andproviding backup capability for the first cooler. If maintenance orrepair is required for the first, primary cooler, the second cooler mustbe brought on line without interrupting lubricating oil flow to theturbine. Interruption of the oil flow to the turbine can cause seriousturbine damage and result in expensive turbine-generator forced outages.Valves previously utilized to accomplish the simultaneous primary coolershutdown and secondary cooler startup were of the three-way type andwere expensive, difficult to handle due to their high weight andresponsible for high pressure drops in the oil lubrication system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general a valving apparatus when made in accordance with thisinvention, comprises a housing, a plurality of first group chambers, aplurality of second group chambers, an inlet port and outlet port forthe first and second group of chambers respectively, and means forselectively regulating fluid communication through the inlet port to thefirst group chambers while simultaneously selectively regulating fluidcommunication between the second group chambers and the outlet port. Thesimultaneous selective regulation of fluid communication through theinlet and outlet ports is provided by an inlet valve disc and outletvalve disc each having at least one aperture therein with those valvediscs being mounted on a rotatable shaft. The inlet valve disc'saperture cooperates with the inlet port and the outlet valve disc'saperture cooperates with the outlet port to selectively provide fluidcommunication to predetermined inlet and outlet chambers, respectively.A first valve seat is interposed between the inlet port and the inletvalve disc and a second valve seat is interposed between the outlet portand the outlet valve disc with those valve seats being adapted tocooperate with the valve discs to block the flow of fluid throughselected portions of the inlet and outlet ports while continuouslymaintaining a substantially constant flow area through the inlet portand a substantially constant flow area through the outlet port duringthe selective regulation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparentfrom reading the following detailed description in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a valving apparatus incorporating thisinvention;

FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of a shaft with valve discs assembled thereonas incorporated in this invention;

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of a bulkhead which surrounds and houses theshaft illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of one of the valve discs shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an elevation view of a valve seat which mates with one of thevalve discs; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of this invention and how it is incorporatedwith two fluid utilizing devices.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 shows a valve apparatus10 having a housing 12 which is divided into four chambers 14, 16, 18and 20 by bulkheads 22 and 24. Valve seats 26 and 28, better illustratedby the single embodiment shown in FIG. 5, are assembled on each axialend of housing 12 and provide seating surfaces for valve discs 30 and 32which are respectively disposed adjacent thereto. Valve discs 30 and 32are illustrated by the single embodiment of FIG. 4. As can be seen fromFIG. 4, the valve discs are circular with a solid portion 33 ofapproximately 180 degrees and a hollow portion 34 occupying theremaining circular area with a small rim portion 36 disposed about theperiphery of hollow space 34.

FIG. 2 illustrates how valve discs 30 and 32 are disposed on shaft 38wherein valve disc 32 is fastened securely with shaft 38 while valvedisc 30 is assembled thereto so as to rotate with shaft 38 while beingaxially displaceable along shaft 38 by the use of a key mechanism forexample. Inlet head 40 and outlet head 42 are disposed on axiallyopposite ends of housing 12 and cooperate therewith by respectivelyproviding an inlet and outlet plenum. An inlet nozzle 44 and an outletnozzle 46 are respectively disposed on inlet head 40 and outlet head 42with those nozzles providing a means of ingress to valve 10 and a meansof egress from valve 10 for the working fluid directed therethrough.Shaft 38 is threaded on the inlet head end with those threads 48 beingbetter illustrated in FIG. 2. Threaded handwheel 50 is engaged withthreads 48 and cooperates with sleeve 52 in seating and unseating valvediscs 30 and 32 from valve seats 26 and 28. Sleeve 52 is concentricallydisposed about shaft 38 and extends axially between threaded handwheel50 and valve disc 30. By advancing threaded handwheel 50 toward theunthreaded end of shaft 38, sleeve 52 axially displaces valve disc 30into seating contact with valve seat 26 while shaft 38 and attachedvalve disc 32 are axially drawn towards threaded handwheel 50 causingvalve disc 32 to firmly seat against valve seat 28. Unseating the valvediscs 30 and 32 is accomplished by loosening threaded handwheel 50.

When threaded handwheel 50 has been suitably loosened, shaft 38 androtatably affixed valve discs 30 and 32 may be rotated to anypredetermined angular displacement by operating rotation lever 54. Sincevalve seats 26 and 28 are fixed to stationary housing 12, valve discs 30and 32 may be rotated a predetermined angular displacement so that valvedisc apertures 34 can cooperate with valve seat openings 26A, 26B, 28A,and 28B in providing selective fluid communication to inlet chambers 14and 16 and to outlet chambers 18 and 20.

The illustrated valve disc apertures 34 are arranged to provide asubstantially constant flow area into the selected inlet chambers andout of the selected outlet chambers during rotation of the valve discs30 and 32. Maintaining substantially constant flow areas for anypredetermined angular displacement of the valve discs is accomplished bycausing the aperture 34 on each valve disc, when rotated, to overlapadjacent valve seat openings to an extent equal to the obstructed areaof those valve seats which are overlapped by solid portion 33 of eachvalve disc. Flow area maintenance is an absolute requirement for theillustrated embodiment since interruption of lubricating oil to theturbine bearings during turbine operation while switching to a differentoil cooler could result in unfavorable consequences. Thus, during achangeover from one cooler to another, there is a transition period whenboth coolers are operating and receiving oil.

Shaft 38 extends axially through opening 56 provided in bulkhead 24which separates inlet chamber 14 from inlet chamber 16 and which alsoseparates outlet chamber 18 from outlet chamber 20. FIG. 1 illustratesbolted end plates 58 and 60 which may be easily removed for inspectionof or repair to valve discs 30 or 32 and/or seats 26 and 28. Chambers14, 16, 18, and 20 are respectively equipped with fluid transferopenings 62, 64, 66, and 68.

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the flow routes through which a workingfluid could be directed by use of the present invention. Lubricating oilreturning from turbine bearing drains or other origins may be routedinto nozzle 44 and then selectively diverted through inlet chamber 16,or inlet chamber 14, or both and then out transfer opening 62, 64, orboth. Transfer opening 62 is in fluid communication with oil cooler 70or other fluid utilizing device. After the working fluid has beenconducted through cooler 70, it is transmitted back to the presentinvention and enters through transfer opening 68. From there it passesthrough outlet chamber 20, into outlet head 42, and back to a turbinelubricating oil reservoir (not shown) through outlet nozzle 46. If andwhen it becomes necessary to remove cooler 70 from service, cooler 72may be activated by first opening valve 74 to equalize the pressure incooler 70 and 72. When the pressure has been equalized, threadedhandwheel 50 is loosened causing valve disc 30 and valve disc 32 to besimultaneously unseated from valve seats 26 and 28. Operating lever 54may then be rotated through an arcuate distance of approximately 180°causing aperture 34 in valve disc 30 to become aligned with valve seatopening 26B resulting in open fluid communication between inlet head 40and inlet chamber 16. Rotation of shaft 38 also causes aperture 34 ofvalve disc 32 to become aligned with opening 28B of valve seat 28 whichresults in open fluid communication between outlet chamber 20 and outletheat 42. After the aforementioned rotation of shaft 38 threadedhandwheel 50 is again advanced toward the unthreaded end of shaft 38causing solid portion 33 of valve disc 30 to be seated against opening26A of valve seat 26 and simultaneously causing solid portion 33 ofvalve disc 32 to be seated against and block opening 28A in valve seat28. Working fluid entering inlet valve 44 is then caused to flow intoinlet chamber 16, through transfer opening 64, and into cooler 72. Oncecooled, the working fluid returns to outlet chamber 18 via transferopening 66. From outlet chamber 18 the working fluid passes into outlethead 42 and then returns to the turbine lubricating oil reservoir.

Although valve disc apertures 34 on valve discs 30 and 32 areillustrated as being 180° "out-of-phase", they may be utilized in suchmanner as to cause them to be "in-phase". In other words, fluid exitingthrough transfer port 62 and flowing through cooler 70 may be returnedto valving apparatus 10 through transfer opening 66 rather than transferopening 68, as illustrated. It is to be understood that while two inletchambers are shown in the illustrated embodiment and they are connectedwith turbine oil lubricating coolers, other numbers of inlet chambersmay be utilized to connect the valving apparatus 10 with various fluidutilizing devices. It is also to be pointed out that by rotating shaft38 through an appropriate angular displacement, both fluid utilizingdevices may be put "on-line". Additionally, by suitable formation ofapertures 34 in valve discs 30 and 32, the working fluid can besimultaneously routed to a large number of processes which use differentamounts of the working fluid.

I claim:
 1. A valving apparatus comprising:a housing; a plurality ofdiscrete chambers within said housing, said chambers including a firstand second group each of which comprises at least two of said chambers,each said chamber having a transfer opening; an inlet port for providingfluid communication to each chamber in said first group; an outlet portfor providing fluid communication to each chamber in said second group;and means for regulating fluid communication through said inlet andoutlet ports to selected chambers in said first and second groupsrespectively, said regulating means comprising: a rotatable shaftextending through said first and second groups of chambers, said shafthaving a first end which is threaded and a second end; a first valvedisc having at least one aperture, said first valve disc being fixedlymounted on the second end of said shaft; a second valve disc having atleast one aperture, said second valve disc being disposed on said shaftso as to be rotatably fixed to the shaft and axially displaceable on theshaft, said second valve disc being disposed between said threads andsaid first valve disc; a first valve seat interposed between said firstvalve disc and one of said groups of chambers, said valve seat beingdisposed in said port which provides fluid communication to that groupof chambers, adapted to cooperate with said first valve disc aperture toselectively permit fluid communication to at least one chamber in thatgroup; a second valve seat interposed between said second valve disc andthe other said group of chambers, said valve seat being disposed in saidport which provides fluid communication to said other group of chambers,said valve seat being adapted to cooperate with said second valve discaperture to selectively permit fluid communication to at least onechamber in said other group; means for rotating said shaft; a threadedhandwheel engaged with said shaft threads in such manner as to seat saidvalve discs against said valve seats when said threaded handwheel isaxially advanced toward said second valve disc and unseats both of saidvalve discs from said valve seats when said threaded handwheel isaxially withdrawn from said second valve disc; and means for precludingfluid communication interruption through said valve disc apertures andsaid valve seats during rotation of said shaft.
 2. The valving apparatusof claim 1, wherein said means for precluding interruption of fluidcommunication during shaft rotation comprises:relative disposition ofsaid valve disc apertures and said cooperating valve seats so that thereis fluid communication through said apertures and valve seats to atleast one chamber in each group for any predetermined rotative positionof said shaft.
 3. The valving apparatus of claim 1, said rotating meanscomprising:a radially extending member fixedly attached to said shaft,said member being capable of rotating said shaft and attached valvediscs when said valve discs are unseated.
 4. The valving apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein said first group of chambers is axially adjacent tosaid second group of chambers along said shaft.
 5. The valving apparatusof claim 4, wherein the chambers in each group are circumferentiallydisposed about said shaft within said housing, said housing having agenerally cylindrical shape.
 6. The valving apparatus of claim 1,wherein said first and second groups are axially adjacent with saidshaft passing axially through at least one bulkhead in each group ofchambers in such manner as to be exclusively exposed to the bulkheads.7. The valving apparatus of claim 1 in combination with a plurality offluid utilizing devices wherein the transfer opening of each chamber insaid first group is in fluid communication with at least one fluidutilizing device, each said fluid utilizing device being in fluidcommunication with the transfer opening of a chamber in said secondgroup whereby fluid may be selectively diverted through said inlet portto selected first group chambers from which it passes to said utilizingdevices and returns to a chamber in said second group from which itpasses through said outlet port.